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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · game · suit · pitcher · mug · last · kick · bass

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — to come down
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — a cup
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — wild animals
  12. land — ground
  13. last — to go on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — low music
  18. last — finally
  19. kick — in football
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a match
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com